Death's Door
by BitterSweetTeller
Summary: After the events of A Friend in Need, the past threatens the future of all souls...and Xena and Gabrielle of ancient times must reunite to save them all. Rated K Plus for action and suggestive content, just in case.
1. Part 1: Heaven isn't always Heaven

Death's Door: A Xena: Warrior Princess Fanfiction

Part 1:

Side note: If you haven't seen the Xena: Warrior Princess two parter A Friend in Need and the episode Send in the Clones, please do before reading this fanfiction. It'll make more sense this way...since this is after those episodes.

As the image of Xena faded from Gabrielle's sights, Gabrielle sighed sadly. She was still teary eyed as the boat took her away from the liberated village of Higuchi. Gabrielle still held onto Xena's physical ashes in that little black pot. Gabrielle muttered, "it won't be the same…" She added in bittersweet hopes, "but we'll be together again...in another life."

Meanwhile, beyond the land of the living…

Xena, with the dark green wings and the holy metal armor of an archangel, was looking down at the image of Gabrielle from a certain wide cave. She concluded bittersweetly, "until we meet again, Gabby." Archangel Michael turned to archangel Xena.

He figured, "it'll be all right, Xena."

Xena chuckled sarcastically, "coming from an archangel who tried to kill me to save Heaven, that makes it all better…doesn't it?"

Michael sighed, "we were only thinking of the greater good. After all this time, I thought someone like you would understand."

Xena pointed out, "what's best for us mortals…or what's best for Heaven?"

Michael figured, "if the demons of Hell took over, it would affect all of us. Surely you saw what the King of Hell could do."

Xena remarked, "then why is it so quiet…lately?" Xena had then noticed an army of demons coming towards the wide cave.

Michael called out, "we're under attack!" An army of archangels formed to counteract the red winged demons. Sword clinked against sword. Xena side kicked two demons at once in midair, knocking them down to the cave floor. Beings on both sides fell in the midst of battle. The demons were playing dirty with fists and kicks, while the archangels were playing nice with simple dodging and their swords.

Xena realized, "it's…all a distraction." She had noticed a white flash of light, down below in the Pits of Hell. Xena took off for the Pits of Hell before Michael could stop her.

Michael called out, "Xena?!" He continued with the fighting within the cave, too occupied with fighting several demons to even look for Xena.

Within the Pits of Hell…

Lucifer was chuckling evilly. He figured darkly, "now…I will have my revenge." In a bright white flash, a familiar face appeared before Lucifer.

Modern day Alti wondered, "and who do I have to thank for my rescue?" She was still shaken from being electrocuted, but was otherwise fine. Around this time, Xena was landing a considerable distance away from Lucifer and modern day Alti. When she saw the recognizable face of Alti next to the King of Hell Lucifer, Xena went wide eyed. Soon after though, Xena's calmness got the better of her.

Lucifer urged, "the Devil."

Xena muttered, "so that's what the King of Hell is up to: Getting others to do his dirty work."

Modern Alti chuckled, "do you want Xena's soul as much as I do?"

Lucifer assured her, "oh, you can torment her all you like…long as I get to watch."

Modern Alti wondered, "and her little friend Gabrielle?"

Lucifer figured, "when my scheme is complete, we'll have power over every single soul."

Xena called out, "not if I can help it!" She tackled modern Alti from above, knocking her to the cave like ground. Modern Alti and Xena wrestled on the ground, their fists missing each other easily. Modern Alti though kicked Xena off, sending her crashing against the canyon like wall. Her archangel wings softened the impact. Several demons came towards a fallen Xena, but Xena easily kicked off the ground in a Xena style flip to get out of the way of several incoming demon swords.

Lucifer roared in frustration.

Modern Alti chuckled, "oh Xena…it's been too long." She jumped after Xena to try to grab her in a psychic attack, but Xena grabbed her arm and hurled her backwards against several demons below.

Xena muttered, "too bad it can't stay that way." She then flew away from the Pits of Hell, before a whole army worth of demons came to finish her off.

Lucifer concluded, "she'll warn the other archangels. They'll come."

Modern Alti remarked, "and that's why you need a shaman like me. With the power of your souls, your demons will be twice as powerful."

Lucifer figured deviously, "that's what I'm counting on."


	2. Part 2: Two Worlds, One Destiny

Death's Door: A Xena: Warrior Princess Fanfiction

Part 2:

A half hour or so later, in Heaven…

Archangel Xena was back in the wide cave. Michael figured, "you could've gotten killed down there. If we're going to stop Lucifer and this Alti, we'll have to work together."

Archangel Xena muttered, "didn't know you cared."

Michael sighed, "when you're ready…you know where I'll be." He walked deeper into the cave, leaving archangel Xena by herself.

Archangel Xena sighed, "Michael's right. Then again, if I didn't provoke Lucifer and Alti, they wouldn't try to hurry with their plan. This would be much easier with Gabby than without her." Then, Ares appeared before her.

Ares added, "I couldn't agree more."

Archangel Xena asked, "you want to bring me back, don't you?"

Ares figured, "don't you want to go back?"

Archangel Xena sighed again, "but if I do, I'll condemn forty thousand souls. Surely you know by now what happened."

Ares pushed, "that's not the Xena I know. Like me, you find ways to get what you want."

Archangel Xena insisted, "not this time."

Ares added, "did it ever occur to you that after all we've been through, I'd let you at least talk to Gabrielle?"

Archangel Xena challenged, "and what makes me think it won't come with a price?"

Ares figured, "with your soul being mine in the next life anyway, what else could I possibly want from you?"

Archangel Xena suggested, "so you're just doing this out of love?! Coming from you, I find that very hard to believe."

Ares suggested, "what if I told you that I could find another Xena…without having to wait for the next life?"

Archangel Xena realized, "you failed to get my soul in the next life…and now you're going after another one."

Ares pointed out, "but this is where things get interesting: I've been watching this Xena and this Gabrielle closely in another life. They look and act very similar to you and Gabrielle, and yet I think they aren't."

Archangel Xena guessed, "then what are they…doppelgangers?"

Ares figured, "no. They're no shape changers."

Archangel Xena questioned, "even if they aren't, why would we need…?"

Ares revealed, "because there's another Alti…and she's on her way here. If the two Altis meet…"

Archangel Xena figured, "now I see through your game. You have a deal with Lucifer." She got up to get away from Ares, but Ares just reappeared in front of Xena.

Ares insisted, "this is no game, Xena! Knowing Lucifer, you know that every soul is at stake here."

Archangel Xena figured, "that's why you should keep both of us out of your games and let me talk to Gabrielle."

Ares sighed, "you'll thank me later." And with that, Ares shot some lightning bolts at Xena. Xena almost got close enough to touch Ares and follow him, but a lightning bolt knocked her out of range as Ares teleported away in a bright white flash of light. She groaned as she landed back on her feet.

Xena muttered, "damn it!"

At the same time, in modern California…

Clone Xena and clone Gabrielle were in a fancy hotel room, with Xena: Warrior Princess souvenirs scattered across the floor. There were two parallel brown beds, a small yellow bathroom, and a kitchen space that doubled as a small living room within this suite. Clone Xena and clone Gabrielle were sitting on the edge of one of the beds, with clone Xena flipping through channels on the television set across from them. Under this same bed were a certain metal sword and a certain iconic chakram. Clone Gabrielle urged, "hey! I was watching that."

Clone Xena concluded, "you're saying you like that mushy stuff? Right...I almost forgot." She changed the channel back to a love story on television.

Clone Gabrielle muttered, "that's not funny."

Clone Xena sighed, "I'm going to have another one of those donuts. Want any?"

Clone Gabrielle figured, "no thanks."

Clone Xena figured, "suit yourself." As she walked into the kitchen area, she then noticed the somewhat familiar face of Ares. She asked suspiciously, "who the hell are you?"

Ares almost chuckled, "don't…you remember? I'm Ares…your husband." Clone Gabrielle heard the somewhat familiar voice of Ares, and came towards the kitchen area.

Clone Xena chuckled a little, "you'd think after all that programming, I'd remember something as important as that."

Ares wondered seriously, "I thought you were Xena."

Clone Gabrielle added, "she is…sort of. We're clones…and you?"

Ares realized, "you're…serious? I didn't think that was possible…but that's even better. If I could get my hands on this cloning technique…"

Clone Xena pointed out, "I'm not sure if you can. The head scientist was lost in a junkyard."

Ares figured with a small chuckle, "that's easy for a god like me. You seriously don't know the…God of Karma?"

Clone Gabrielle deduced, "we've been to India, and we've never heard of one called..."

Ares figured, "did I say God of Karma? I meant the Greek God of Life and Death."

Clone Xena concluded, "right…Greek. We'll take your word for it."

Ares sighed, "this is going to be a long day."

Clone Gabrielle wondered, "why would you need us though?"

Ares revealed, "because back in ancient times, I'm quite fond of your original selves. And this is a godly matter, with only a few gods left."

Clone Gabrielle realized, "right…the Twilight."

Ares concluded, "how could I forget?"

Clone Xena added, "but why us?"

Ares added, "because your original selves have fought and won in godly matters before…and I could use all the help I can get against Lucifer."

Clone Xena deduced, "the King of Hell?"

Ares insisted, "are you with me?" Clone Xena and clone Gabrielle looked at each other.

Clone Gabrielle urged, "for some reason, I don't feel like I should trust you. But, if this is anything like the Twilight…"

Ares figured, "whatever Lucifer is planning…it's worse. He doesn't care who worships him…just about revenge on Xena and bringing Hell to the world."

Clone Xena figured, "I don't know about Gabrielle, but I'm going with you." She went to get her chakram and sword. Right before though, Gabrielle turned off the television set with the remote control.

Clone Gabrielle concluded, "I'll be fine. I just need some Sais."

Ares concluded, "done." He made some special daggers called Sais appear in clone Gabrielle's hands.

Clone Xena wondered, "you sure you're…?"

Clone Gabrielle insisted, "I'll be ready."

Clone Xena figured, "right." Ares then teleported all three of them away from the hotel room. They disappeared in a bright flash of white light.

A half hour earlier, on a certain boat…

Gabrielle was uneasily looking out to the seas, when Aphrodite appeared next to her. Aphrodite realized, "you miss Xena…don't you?"

Gabrielle sighed, "yes…and to think I could have brought her back!"

Aphrodite put a sympathetic hand on her shoulder, "she'll always be a part of you."

Gabrielle concluded, "least there's some comfort in that."

Aphrodite pointed out, "Gabrielle, I didn't just come to pay my respects." She pulled her hand away.

Gabrielle muttered, "she can't come back: Not without losing so many souls."

Aphrodite insisted, "I'm not talking about bringing Xena back. You can visit Xena as many times as you want…until you're truly ready to move on with a life without Xena."

Gabrielle turned to her teary eyed, "you would take me to Xena?"

Aphrodite offered, "if that's what you want." Gabrielle hugged Aphrodite, much to Aphrodite's surprise. She hugged her back. Gabrielle and Aphrodite then pulled away.

Gabrielle said, "thank you…Aphrodite."

A touched Aphrodite added, "I know how much Xena means to you. You ready?"

Gabrielle added, "just let me put Xena's ashes away first." Gabrielle put the pot with Xena's ashes into a cabin built into the curved boat, then returned to Aphrodite.

Aphrodite wondered eagerly, "now?" Gabrielle nodded. Aphrodite figured, "then let's go." She teleported Gabrielle and herself away from the boat in a bright white flash of light, leaving behind some unfazed rowers.


	3. Part 3: A Chance in Tartarus

Death's Door: A Xena: Warrior Princess Fanfiction

Part 3:

Soon after Ares left Xena in Heaven…

Xena was looking down from the cave again, but couldn't see Gabrielle anymore. Xena wondered uneasily, "Gabby?"

Michael added to Xena's hidden surprise, "some of your friends are here to see you." Xena got up and turned around to see to her inner happiness Aphrodite and Gabrielle beside archangel Michael. She and Gabrielle hugged each other tightly.

Gabrielle said with relief, "I thought I'd never see you again in this lifetime."

Xena assured her with a pat on the back, "it's ok, Gabrielle. It's ok." They physically separated as they looked directly at each other.

Aphrodite urged, "umm…thank you Aphrodite?"

Xena responded, "thank you."

Aphrodite figured, "that's better."

Michael urged, "sorry to cut a reunion short, but we..." Suddenly, Ares with clone Gabrielle and clone Xena appeared.

Clone Xena wondered, "where's Lucifer?"

Archangel Xena figured, "probably still in the Pits of Hell with Alti."

Gabrielle realized uneasily as she was getting over the minor shock of two completely identical Xenas with matching appearances, "Alti…here?"

Ares added, "about to be two of them."

Aphrodite remarked, "no wonder it smells in here."

Archangel Xena started to say, "I was getting to…"

Clone Gabrielle turned to archangel Xena, "Alti?!"

Michael concluded in annoyance, "yes…the cursed shaman Alti is teaming up with the King of Hell to take over Heaven and Earth. Now, can we figure out when or where they'll strike next…before they take away our souls?"

Aphrodite figured, "I'm not worried. I'm sure that Xena and Gabrielle…and Xena and Gabrielle will find a way to stop them."

Ares figured, "of course. That's why I got clones from the future to help."

Michael commented, "what's with all the Xena lookalikes? And how do you explain these…doppelgangers?" Clone Xena glared at him.

Archangel Xena figured, "why are you asking me? Why don't you ask Ares?!"

Ares remarked, "well, I sure didn't create them just to turn a Xena evil again."

Archangel Xena retorted, "well, you could've fooled both of us."

Michael added, "and why should we trust you? You tried to stop the way of Eli in the first place!"

Ares insisted, "if the two Altis become one, you'll have more than just me and my developing armies to worry about."

Aphrodite figured, "I'm just going to go before it gets ugly. You'll let me know if…?"

Gabrielle figured, "sure, Aphrodite." Aphrodite disappeared in a flash of bright white light, leaving the others in the wide cave of Heaven to talk among themselves. Gabrielle wondered with a little chuckle, "and what are clones?"

Clone Gabrielle added, "it's better not to think about it too hard."

Clone Xena figured, "come to think of it, don't the demons just keep attacking this place?"

Michael wondered suspiciously, "what are you getting at?"

Archangel Xena pointed out, "that Lucifer doesn't change his pattern…with the exception of getting Alti to help him."

Clone Xena realized, "so if we find a way to divide his forces long enough…"

Clone Gabrielle concluded, "we can break Lucifer and Alti's concentration."

Ares added, "sounds good."

Archangel Xena pointed out, "except that I know Alti. She powers herself with souls and becomes a one woman army."

Michael sighed, "as if Lucifer wasn't bad enough. Why don't we just let these lookalikes go first and see what happens?"

Clone Xena muttered, "it's like you want us to be killed."

Michael concluded, "at least this Xena and this Gabrielle have earned our respect. All you've really thought about is Lucifer." They were about to attack each other, when clone Gabrielle got in the way.

She urged, "enough! We should be working together to fight Lucifer…not ourselves!"

Clone Xena muttered, "well, I sure didn't start it."

Clone Gabrielle insisted with a sigh, "it doesn't matter."

Gabrielle wondered, "what do you suggest we do, Xena?"

Archangel Xena deduced, "well, judging from the costumes our other selves are wearing, I think that Ares is right about one thing: They're from the future. So, there is a very real possibility of an Alti from the future being teleported here by Lucifer. I did after all see one Alti come out of a portal made by Lucifer."

Ares added, "it's almost like you believe me."

Clone Gabrielle concluded, "don't think we believe you fully either."

Ares figured, "fair enough."

Archangel Xena went on, "as I was saying, we're not sure whether there really is a second Alti coming here or not. As a precaution though, I think I should accompany my other self and that Gabrielle should accompany her other self…with some archangels accompanying both parties."

Michael figured, "sounds reasonable. I shall accompany the two Xenas then."

Clone Xena objected, "I don't trust the archangels as far as I can throw them." Michael glared at her.

Gabrielle urged, "I'm sure not all of them are like Michael."

Michael remarked, "I don't think that's altogether a good thing."

Clone Xena added, "of course you wouldn't."

Clone Gabrielle urged harshly, "that's enough…from both of you."

Ares suggested, "well, I don't know about you, but I think we've strategized long enough. Let's just have the two Xenas go to the Pits of Hell and the two Gabrielles help guard Heaven."

Archangel Xena asked suspiciously, "and where are you going to be?"

Ares figured, "what do you think? I'm coming with you."

Gabrielle suggested, "then we should have Aphrodite here…in case you decide to help Lucifer with taking over Heaven."

Ares figured as he held back on swearing, "very well." Then, Aphrodite appeared.

She asked, "you called?"

Michael asked, "and what makes you think we can trust another Greek god to protect us from the God of War?"

Aphrodite exclaimed, "well! No wonder you haven't found someone."

Archangel Xena urged, "love is the opposite of hate…and Aphrodite is Gabrielle's friend. As long as she's on our side, so will Aphrodite be."

A second archangel came to inform Michael, "we found Alti."

Michael concluded, "then Xena…and Xena…let's go."

Archangel Xena urged, "I'll be back, Gabrielle."

Gabrielle figured, "I'll be here."

Clone Gabrielle added, "good luck, Xena."

Clone Xena figured, "you too."

Ares added, "that's more like it." Ares, the two Xenas, Michael, and nine other archangels flew into the Pits of Hell. That is, except for Ares and clone Xena, who just teleported there together.

Aphrodite sighed, "I just realized that I got the boring job."

Gabrielle figured, "be careful what you wish for." She, Aphrodite, ten archangels, and clone Gabrielle looked up to see an army of flaming flying demons coming towards them from the clouds above.

Aphrodite chuckled, "now this is a party!" She started firing bluish energy blasts at the incoming demons, taking them out one by one.

Gabrielle thought, "Aphrodite may be too magic happy."

Clone Gabrielle wondered, "are all demons by definition evil?"

Gabrielle figured, "the only exception that I know of is Lucifer…but you could've said something earlier." She hurled Xena's past chakram into the bodies of several demons from below, causing each of them to explode in flames.

Clone Gabrielle responded, "sorry." Archangels charged at the incoming army of demons, with sword clinking against sword. Some of the demons though shot fireballs from their bodies, resulting in sending several archangels crashing down into the Pits of Hell. Luckily, more archangels arrived. The two Gabrielles ducked for cover as several fireballs nearly hit them.

Gabrielle concluded, "I hope Xena…and Xena are having better luck."

Meanwhile, in the Pits of Hell…

Ares and clone Xena were slashing their swords at incoming flaming demons, making several more demons explode in flames. The impact though knocked clone Xena and Ares off their feet. Clone Xena groaned as she got up. Archangel Xena, Michael, and the other archangels with archangel Xena were flying low in the air to swiftly slash at more demons in a surprise attack. More demons burst into flames on the cave like ground. One of them set a stone table of forbidden fruit on fire, resulting in covering several demons in burning fruit juices to the point of temporary blindness. Clone Xena figured, "I got your back." She slashed her sword into a demon's side, and did a Xena styled flip to get out of range of the little shockwave that followed.

Archangel Xena roared as she clinked swords with two demons at the same time. Knowing it'd be better not to touch the demons, she quickly knocked both swords with her own sword into one of the demons to hurt the same demon. This demon burst into flames, and the resulting shockwave caused the other three demons nearby to burst into flames as well. Archangel Xena did a Xena styled flip to get out of range, then caught herself in midair with her wings to get a wider view. Ares, Michael, and the rest of the archangels in the Pits of Hell were each clinking swords with two demons at once, but only Ares was quick enough to do it as quickly as Xena did. Suddenly, a fireball knocked archangel Xena against the ground of the Pits of Hell before she could react.

Standing above her was a chuckling Alti. She taunted, "you actually thought you could kill me on my own terms?"


	4. Part 4: Holding out Hope

Death's Door: A Xena: Warrior Princess Fanfiction

Part 4:

Alti kicked archangel Xena back to the ground as she tried to get up. Before archangel Xena could react, Alti lifted her up with one arm. Her hand was around archangel Xena's neck, letting Alti flood archangel Xena with memories of past pain and sadness. This included the memory of losing Solan to Callisto, the memory of turning into a demon and fighting Gabrielle to try to take over Heaven, and the memory of her back being broken by her own chakram. Alti figured, "looks like I still got the touch."

Archangel Xena called out in psychic pain as she was tossed against a canyon wall. She soon after got back up, trying to shake off the psychic pain as easily as it was for her to shake off physical pain.

Ares muttered, "bad move." He punched Alti from behind, sending her on a collision course with another section of canyon wall.

Alti coughed violently as she got back to her feet.

Clone Xena roared menacingly as she sliced through several demons around her with the modern chakram, making a chain reaction that created a shockwave of fire and caused ten demons to explode in flames. Clone Xena did a Xena styled flip to get out of range as she caught her chakram.

Alti chuckled, "you've already lost, Xena."

Archangel Xena muttered, "as a death worshipper, you already lost." She swung her sword at Alti, but Alti leaped backwards and punched archangel Xena's sword out of her hands. Archangel Xena swung a punch at Alti's side, knocking her onto the canyon ground. Having already dealt with a wave of demons, clone Xena did a Xena pinch on Alti as she got to her feet.

Clone Xena urged, "you got thirty seconds to tell me where Lucifer is."

Alti coughed, "you're…too late." From a distance, Ares was blasting incoming demons with fireballs. Ares brushed off some fireball demon attacks by healing back up almost instantly.

He called out, "yeah! Come and get some!"

Before either Xena could ask Alti more questions, she and archangel Xena suddenly disappeared in a flash of bright white light.

Clone Xena called out, "Xena!" Ares noticed the two flashes of light and teleported to where clone Xena was.

Ares urged, "come on. I know where they're going."

Clone Xena pointed out, "I'm still not sure if I should trust you…but lead the way." She and Ares were about to teleport away, when the remaining archangels including Michael turned to them.

Michael wondered, "did you…?"

Ares pointed out, "this was all an elaborate distraction…to get to the Treasury of Souls. I didn't think Lucifer was that smart."

Michael turned to him, "how do you know about…?!"

Ares insisted, "there's no time for that! Right now, we got to…" Suddenly, the archangels and remaining demons disappeared in flashes of light…along with the unconscious bodies of archangels and demons on the ground.

Clone Xena turned to Ares, "where is this Treasury of Souls?"

Ares concluded, "I'll take you there." The two of them teleported deeper into the metaphysical, beyond the dark clouds above.

Meanwhile…

The two Gabrielles were slicing and knocking another wave of incoming demons left and right with their Sais and legs. Aphrodite was still blasting away, handling half of the wave all by herself. Some demons burst into flames. Some archangels fell to the cave floor. Then, where the recently flame exploding bodies were became lit with flashes of light. And the remaining bodies started to disappear in flashes of light. Aphrodite asked, "is that it?"

Gabrielle sighed, "I doubt it. This was just a distraction."

Clone Gabrielle figured, "exactly what I was thinking. But, now what do we do?"

Aphrodite figured, "we can go up." The two Gabrielles turned in the direction of the mouth of the cave of Heaven to see a lot of trails of varying colored light going through the clouds above, which were trailing off from where the flashes of lights originated within the cave of Heaven and the Pits of Hell. Oddly though, they had wing shaped and beak shaped light heading the trails of light.

Gabrielle decided, "then let's go." Aphrodite teleported herself and the two Gabrielles away from the cave.

Elsewhere…

Archangel Xena, Michael, and the other archangels were being watched over by many demons. They each found themselves in a prison of colored light shaped like a giant dove. These prisons of light were on the edge of open windows of a giant brown and gray medieval styled building. Beyond the windows was a lake seemingly as big as a sea, and above this lake was an apple tree and a grassy garden surrounding it. The modern Alti was standing over the prisons of light as though she was a giant, but everyone else in the medieval like tower was shrunk by unexplained magic. Archangel Xena cried out in pain as she tried to ram her way out of her prison of light. She ended up on the windowsill, which made up the floor for the light but metaphysically tough prison.

Alti suggested, "now, now…that's no way to treat a goddess."

Archangel Xena chuckled, "what's the matter? Power over spirits not good enough for you?"

Alti concluded, "it was a gift from my past self's spirit."

Archangel Xena realized, "Ares was right."

Alti concluded, "and you didn't believe him."

Archangel Xena sighed, "he's just so…untrustworthy."

Alti sighed, "enough of this useless talk. You will once again lead the demon army…and not even Gabrielle, your precious daughter Livia, or the mighty Ares will stop it."

Archangel Xena muttered, "her name is Eve…and since when did…?!"

Alti figured, "don't you get it? I don't need to make you experience things again just to catch up on old times. With my newfound powers, I can know what you're thinking without touching you."

Archangel Xena pointed out, "then you know that I have a very strong will." She then noticed the many more prisons of light that commoners and peasants were trapped in across the giant windowsills, old and otherwise.

Alti figured, "all the more reason why I want you to become the Destroyer of Nations."

Archangel Xena added with a smirk, "does Lucifer know?" Goddess Alti suddenly shot lightning bolts at archangel Xena, knocking her against the walls of light around her. Archangel Xena clutched her side in hidden fear and almost outspoken pain.

Goddess Alti threatened, "you'd be dead before you could tell him. Besides, Lucifer's too busy with a god to hear this."

Archangel Xena realized, "the same one that Eli…?"

Goddess Alti confirmed, "the very same one."

Archangel Xena insisted, "when I get out, Ares will come after you."

Goddess Alti sighed, "if only you had the power to kill gods." Archangel Xena sat down on the metaphysical windowsill, trying hard to seem calm despite the fear that was in her eyes. She fought hard to think of something else…as a simple but effective plan started to form in the back of her mind.


	5. Part 5: Once more with Feeling

Death's Door: A Xena: Warrior Princess Fanfiction

Part 5:

The two Gabrielles and Aphrodite appeared in a certain grassy and walled up garden. In front of them was a featureless being made of white light fighting Lucifer. Whitish lightning bolts from the featureless being hit and injured Lucifer in the shoulder and arm. Lucifer roared with determination as he shot fireballs at this god like being in midair, with his wings keeping him there. Many creatures in this garden were hiding behind trees and bushes, instinctively sensing danger. Some trees went down, motivating some of the creatures to retreat deeper into the garden.

Clone Gabrielle turned to her other self, "aren't we going to do something?!"

Gabrielle suggested, "I have Xena's chakram. But, without Xena's power to kill gods, it wouldn't hurt Lucifer."

Aphrodite suggested, "why don't I settle this myself?"

Clone Gabrielle figured, "better you than us."

Gabrielle suggested, "let's find those souls." Both Gabrielles walked deeper into the garden, looking around for the archangels. This included archangel Xena, of course.

After a short while, both Gabrielles found a certain big apple tree. Next to its roots was a certain lake, with a certain tower clearly visible under the water. Gabrielle turned to her other self, "I thought I saw the winged lights coming here."

Clone Gabrielle realized, "are you thinking…?"

Gabrielle concluded, "that the souls are down there?"

Clone Gabrielle commented, "that's scary…because I was thinking the same thing."

Gabrielle added, "it's not that hard. The tower's lights are lit with the same colors."

Clone Gabrielle chuckled a little, "ohh…right."

Gabrielle asked, "you ok?" She was getting ready to swim down to the tower.

Clone Gabrielle sighed, "since as a clone, I have most of your memories…I feel like I've gone through what you have gone through. But, after going through battle with my Sais firsthand…" She was getting ready to swim down to the tower.

Gabrielle realized, "you feel guilty of not following Eli's way."

Clone Gabrielle concluded, "yeah."

Gabrielle figured, "you know…you don't have to come."

Clone Gabrielle reasoned, "I know…but Xena probably needs my help."

Gabrielle suggested, "just don't do anything you'll regret."

Clone Gabrielle deduced, "it's a little too late for that."

At the same time, in a certain medieval styled tower…

Archangel Xena pointed out, "Alti's gone. Now, if I could just break free…" She tried to get out, but the prison of light around her didn't break away. However, it didn't hurt this time.

Some of the demons laughed darkly. One of them added, "your spirit will eventually break, and there's nothing you or your little friends can do."

Archangel Xena called out, "Kenji…now!" Kenji, who was one of the souls trapped on the windowsill, took out Harukata's katana from his person. He slashed his prison of light in two, making half of it fly away into the apple tree roots above as winged light. The other half of the prison of light flew into Kenji, empowering him with confidence. Kenji quickly slashed through several surprised demons, making them explode in flames behind him. Kenji charged at archangel Xena's prison of light to try to break her free, but many demons were coming after him from above.

The demons roared with anger as they fired many fireballs at Kenji. Kenji swiftly moved around fireball after fireball, but was hit by one of the fireballs and knocked off his feet.

Xena called out, "Kenji!"

He coughed as he rolled the fire off of him. The demons were closing in on Kenji, when Kenji used both feet to carefully hurl the katana at archangel Xena's prison of light.

Archangel Xena concluded, "time's up, Ares."

The soul of Akemi seemed to echo in archangel Xena's mind, "I have faith in you, Xena." Archangel Xena grabbed the katana before the demons could catch it through the prison of light. She did a Xena flip while slashing her prison of light in half. Up in the air, archangel Xena ran and jumped across the heads of many incoming demons to head towards where Kenji was. In the confusion, many demons fired fireballs at archangel Xena and ended up exploding themselves in flames. Kenji though ended up getting burst into flames before archangel Xena could reach him, with his soul turning into a winged purple dove that flew towards the apple tree's roots. The exploding demons turned into winged doves of varying color, which flew in the same direction as Kenji's spirit.

At the same time, elsewhere in the tower…

Ares and clone Xena appeared next to the windowsill, but normal sized despite being as big as Alti. Clone Xena figured, "strange…no Alti." Ares looked around this unfurnished room, eventually bending down to look at the windowsill with some inner amusement.

Ares thought, "with the original Xena trapped on the windowsill, her soul will be mine for the taking…and no one would…notice." He commented, "cute pawns." Clone Xena turned to Ares.

She figured, "you found Alti?"

Ares chuckled, "no…the other Xena."

Clone Xena wondered, "being a god, can't you simply restore her to normal size?"

Ares figured, "there may not be enough time. Alti could be back any minute."

Clone Xena realized, "wait a minute. You're not after Alti." Ares turned around to punch clone Xena against the tower floor, sending her crashing down a couple of wooden floors built into the tower.

Ares figured, "you're almost as clever as the real Xena."

Clone Xena cried out in pain on her way down. Clone Xena kicked off of a wall down below to do a Xena flip back to the top floor. Clone Xena remarked, "as are you. That would make us evenly matched." She and Ares began to fight for archangel Xena's life with fists and kicks.

Ares threatened, "don't make me kill you."

Clone Xena pointed out, "without archangel Michael taking away my power to kill gods…what's to stop me from killing you first?" Ares glared as he kicked at clone Xena, who simply flipped over Ares's leg to try to kick him back. Ares caught her leg as clone Xena used her other leg to spin kick Ares against a tower wall. This was to the side of the windowsill that archangel Xena was over.

Ares groaned as he straightened himself. He figured, "I thought you said we're evenly…matched." Ares, in inner fear, had noticed clone Xena taking out her chakram.

At the same time, back in the metaphysical garden…

Aphrodite called out, "hey, ugly! You could use a makeover." She blasted Lucifer with bluish energy blasts, knocking him against the grass below.

Lucifer muttered angrily, "what are you doing here?!" He uneasily got back up to push off the metaphysical ground and fly into the air.

Aphrodite remarked, "I'm here to bring tough love." She shape changed to look like Xena for a little bit, just to anger Lucifer even more.

Lucifer called out, "Alti! Alti!" He flew charged at Aphrodite, firing fireballs at her at the same time. Aphrodite tried to teleport out of range, but Lucifer's powers coming from his status as the King of Hell made roots come out of the metaphysical ground to try to pin Aphrodite's feet to it. At the same time, Aphrodite used her bluish magical shielding shaped like a heart and teleportation to get away anyway. The roots that were wrapping around her ankles broke into tiny pieces from being cut off from contact with Aphrodite. The roots had wrapped around each other in reaction to this, and broke from their own animated strength. With Lucifer distracted, the being of light blasted Lucifer with lightning before he could react. Lucifer clutched his side, roaring with defiance as he blasted the being of light with more fireballs.

The being of light coughed as it was knocked against the metaphysical ground, with several see through holes inside it.

Aphrodite urged, "looks like you're on your own, kingie." She appeared right next to Lucifer in the metaphysical sky of blue and blasted at Lucifer with several energy blasts. Lucifer tried to dodge them and blast Aphrodite with fireballs, but was hit by enough energy blasts to fall to the metaphysical ground unconscious and mostly missed Aphrodite. Aphrodite shrugged off the fire around her by turning it into a cool breeze, but she was coughing a little from her body being shaken by two fireballs. The being of light got back up uneasily.

It added, "thanks."

Aphrodite replied cheerfully, "anytime." Suddenly, goddess Alti came from behind the being of light and blasted the being of light with bluish lightning. The being of light started to fade away on the metaphysical ground, its holes getting wider by the second.

Goddess Alti chuckled darkly, "I'm Alti, the Goddess of Death…and guess who's next to die."


	6. Part 6: The Bitter and Suite of It

Death's Door: A Xena: Warrior Princess Fanfiction

Part 6:

Aphrodite muttered, "not going to happen, witch!" She teleported behind Alti to blast her with energy blasts, knocking Alti against a tree before she could finish off the being of light.

Goddess Alti muttered, "looks like someone just bought a one way ticket to the Greek underworld." She blasted Aphrodite with lightning, but Aphrodite barely blocked it with her heart shaped shielding.

Aphrodite commented, "sounds more like my brother Ares. Why don't you go after him instead?" Aphrodite blocked another lightning blast with her magical shielding, much to the annoyance of goddess Alti.

Goddess Alti suddenly paused in realization, "Xena." She teleported away. Aphrodite turned to the being of light. Fortunately, its holes weren't widening anymore.

Aphrodite wondered in concern, "are you…?"

The being of light insisted while coughing violently, "I'll…be fine…but Alti…must be…stopped."

Aphrodite confirmed, "I will, but where could…?"

The being of light concluded between smaller coughs, "the Treasury of Souls…is the…only place here where…she could become a…god." It was absorbing energy from the sun to slowly heal its own wounds.

Aphrodite concluded more cheerfully, "love is the way."

The being of light remarked, "now if you could only take it literally."

Aphrodite chuckled as though the being made a joke, "cute." Without another word, Aphrodite teleported to the Treasury of Souls.

At the same time, on a certain windowsill…

Archangel Xena roared with defiance as she flip kicked several demons against each other in midair. When Ares was knocked against a certain tower wall, it shook off the remaining prisons of light. Without a dominant god, goddess, or half-god to keep the prisons of light intact, there was nothing much stopping the prisons of light from turning into winged lights that gave the other souls renewed confidence. That is, with the demons occupied with archangel Xena slashing through them in the air. The other souls were free to turn into winged lights of varying color that flew to trees scattered across the garden, but the archangels, the soul of Akemi, and the soul of Harukata stayed behind to help archangel Xena keep the demons away from the escaping souls.

Akemi urged, "together." She grabbed one of the fallen demons' swords and slashed through demon after demon from the windowsill. More demons became winged lights that were drawn to the apple tree above.

Harukata suggested, "my katana." Archangel Xena nodded. She tossed the sacred katana back to Harukata, who used it to slash through several demons that exploded in flames. Their souls joined the winged lights heading to the apple tree above.

Michael pointed out, "you still don't trust me…and yet you trust a ghost killer?" He and the other archangels were holding off the demons around them, with swords clinking against swords.

Archangel Xena figured, "Lucifer won't miss some of his demons."

Michael concluded, "think you're becoming more like me?"

Archangel Xena scoffed, "not a chance in Tartarus."

Akemi added, "I think that's all of them." With help from Akemi, Harukata, and Kenji, archangel Xena had succeeded in protecting innocent souls from the demons. Archangel Xena landed on the windowsill, as a certain pair of Sais came through the window. Akemi concluded, "it was good to see you again, Xena."

Archangel Xena added, "safe journey."

Harukata echoed, "safe journey." Akemi and Harukata bowed respectfully as they both changed into different colored doves that flew to some distant trees.

Michael wondered, "now how do we get back to normal?"

Archangel Xena commented, "only a god can help us now."

At the same time, elsewhere in the tower…

Clone Xena was hurling her chakram at Ares, when two Sais at alarming speed pinned the chakram in midair to a wall. Ares chuckled, "you really had me going there…but I guess you still have your Gabrielle around to complicate things." He punched a taken off guard clone Xena against the opposite wall with an uppercut to knock the wind out of her. Ares quickly raised her in the air with one hand around her neck. He had noticed the two Gabrielles pulling themselves into the tower through one of the windows, as though the lake was a cross between air and water. No pressure or bubbles were apparent in the big lake surrounding the tower.

Ares said with his voice somewhat raised, "will you really risk hurting your dear friend Xena?" Both Gabrielles moved away from Ares.

Clone Gabrielle muttered lowly, "I'm sorry."

Gabrielle started to say, "it wasn't…"

Clone Xena was coughing hard, "y…ou…!" Ares tossed clone Xena against the pinned chakram and Sais, who fell down the hole in the broken floor and instinctively grabbed onto the second floor.

Clone Gabrielle gasped, "Xena!" Clone Xena, with her last ounce of strength, pulled herself up and collapsed on the floor below. Clone Gabrielle jumped off of the wall to flip kick down to the second floor.

Ares figured, "there can be only one Xena." He teleported down to the second floor, when goddess Alti appeared on the first floor. Gabrielle was about to join clone Gabrielle when goddess Alti appeared.

Gabrielle turned to goddess Alti with her Sais in hand, "I won't let you hurt Xena!"

Goddess Alti chuckled darkly, "and what can you do against a goddess?"


	7. Part 7: Through the Fire

Death's Door: A Xena: Warrior Princess Fanfiction

Part 7:

As goddess Alti looked at Gabrielle, Gabrielle did her best to seem calm on the outside despite there being fear in her eyes. The last time Gabrielle had fought against a god by herself, Ares spared her because he'd rather stop Eli's way than kill her. Ares still might…but right now he was too focused on clone Xena, archangel Xena, and stopping goddess Alti to even think about Eli's way. Gabrielle said almost completely calmly, "if you think you can kill me, go ahead. But Ares is…"

Goddess Alti chuckled, "without realizing it, he's making it easier for me to kill you." She blasted Gabrielle with lightning, but Gabrielle in that same instant thought of one thing that could save her. Gabrielle somewhat slowly did a flip kick off the wall towards goddess Alti, letting her tattooed back deflect the lightning back at goddess Alti in mid flip. A surprised goddess Alti was knocked through the wall by her own powers, making her fall into the air like lake beyond the tower. Strangely enough, the water stayed separate from the tower as though it was actually some kind of jello. Gabrielle landed back on her feet, with holes in the back of her clothes.

At the same time, on the second floor…

Luckily, Gabrielle was able to hurl her Sais down to clone Gabrielle in the middle of goddess Alti's most recent teleporting. Ares made a sword appear in his hands, which he was aiming at clone Xena's body. Clone Gabrielle charged at Ares and deflected his sword with Gabrielle's Sais multiple times. Ares punched clone Gabrielle across the floor. Clone Gabrielle coughed violently from the impact as she struggled to get up. Ares was about to finish off clone Xena with his sword, when he saw goddess Alti crashing into the tower. Strangely, the tower wall shards that fell fell inward…not outward. Several tower shards fell down the collapsed part of the second floor, which crashed down onto the third floor and made part of that wooden floor collapse on their way down.

Meanwhile, on the first floor…

Gabrielle sighed with relief as Aphrodite showed up. Gabrielle wondered in annoyance, "what took you so long?"

Aphrodite turned to her, "I didn't even know about the Treasury of Souls until Eli's god…" Gabrielle was carefully taking out clone Gabrielle's Sais and archangel Xena's chakram, being careful not to fall down to the second floor in the process.

Aphrodite then noticed archangel Xena and the rest of the archangels standing on a certain windowsill. Aphrodite realized, "Xena?"

Archangel Xena urged, "bring me back to normal."

Aphrodite asked, "what about…?"

Archangel Xena insisted, "the rest of the archangels still have demons to keep under control." Gabrielle got clone Gabrielle's Sais and archangel Xena's chakram on her person.

Aphrodite sighed, "very well." She zapped archangel Xena with lightning that brought archangel Xena instantly back to normal size. But interestingly, archangel Michael put himself in the path of the lightning and purposely let himself be brought back to normal size. Gabrielle and archangel Xena turned to look at Michael with suspicion.

Michael figured, "someone has got to be around to keep you in line."

Archangel Xena urged coldly, "I could say the same thing about you."

Gabrielle urged as she stood between the two, "that's enough. Right now, we need to stay…"

Aphrodite added, "focused. Seriously, what in Tartarus is wrong with concentrating on our…?" To Aphrodite, Archangel Xena, Michael, and Gabrielle's eyes were darker than usual as they started to collapse on the floor. Aphrodite glared at goddess Alti, who was flying back into the tower. Aphrodite called out, "get back, witch!"

Goddess Alti counteracted, "actually, I'm a death worshipper."

Aphrodite remarked, "as if there's a difference here."

Goddess Alti figured darkly, "even if you do kill me…there's nothing you can do to save Xena or Gabrielle." Ares then appeared on the first floor, leaving the already collapsed bodies of clone Gabrielle and clone Xena on the second floor.

Meanwhile, within archangel Xena and Gabrielle's minds…

These words rang through their heads: Xena, Xena, Xena, Xena…praise the winds of chance that blew… Archangel Xena was caught in a strong wind among high flames of bright red, with her wings not helping matters any.

She called out as she clutched her head in response to this all too familiar song from Illusia, "Alti!" Archangel Xena was slowly becoming overheated, despite how large the flames were.

Gabrielle called out over the wind, "Xena!"

The words kept going on and on: You and me love war, doesn't matter what it's for… Archangel Xena saw before her eyes the many warriors that were under her command years ago…and the many warriors that Xena had to go up against to pay for the consequences, including Callisto and Caesar. She saw the many lives that were lost in both cases…which moved archangel Xena to noticeably shed a few tears. Archangel Xena held back as much as she could, but she couldn't stop those few tears from being shown to goddess Alti.

Goddess Alti's cruel voice briefly broke the rhythm, "for you and Gabrielle, nothing else but my power over you will matter." Gabrielle ran across the flames, trying to catch up to archangel Xena. But, she too was getting slowly overheated…and moved to some tears by what she and archangel Xena both saw of Xena's past.

Archangel Xena called out, "Gabrielle!"

Gabrielle called out, "hold on!" She jump flipped into the wind carrying archangel Xena, barely grabbing her hand in the air.

The words ringing in their heads kept going, "nothing changes but the time…we don't even change our minds…don't deny your destiny…it's just a case of killing to be kind…" A giant scythe came into view, which threatened to hurt archangel Xena and Gabrielle as it swung at them.

At the same time, within clone Xena and clone Gabrielle's minds…

Ironically, similar but different words from Illusia rang in their minds: It begins very small…seems like nothing much at all…" Clone Xena and clone Gabrielle were on a certain stone surface, small as specks of dust. They looked around, very alert.

The words kept going: And its power will strangle your love and your joy…and its hunger consumes, for it lives to destroy…" Dark red portals begun opening up, with multiple Gabrielles with red and black cloaks appearing before them.

Clone Gabrielle gasped, "Hope."

Clone Xena urged, "together!" The army of Hopes telekinetically fired many ancient swords, daggers, and shields at clone Xena and clone Gabrielle as though they were as light as dust.

Clone Gabrielle insisted uneasily with teary eyes, "but…I can't!"

Clone Xena assured her, "come on, Gabrielle! They're not even real."

Clone Gabrielle gulped, "right."

Clone Xena urged, "together!" Clone Xena and clone Gabrielle ran and jump flipped past the incoming weapons and shields, flip kicking off the shields to get closer and closer to the dark red wraith like being that was Dahak. Due to not having her chakram in this nightmare, clone Xena roared as she kicked and hurled several weapons back at the many Hopes that were appearing before them in the air.

Certain words from Illusia kept going: Hate doesn't care who you are…hate is the star!" The many Hopes' appearances were changing to look like past foes and past friends of clone Xena's and clone Gabrielle's including Hope as a little girl, Borias, Eve, Eve as Livia, Joxer, and Alti. Clone Gabrielle and clone Xena were getting teary eyed, but were holding back tears. Clone Gabrielle kicked and hurled weapons too, but made sure that the handles of the weapons hit and not the blades of the weapons. Several familiar faces fell unconscious.

Clone Gabrielle and clone Xena muttered to themselves, "they're…not real."

The bitter tune kept on going: All your hate gave me substance…your lives are undone…" Eight long pieces of floating ropes with a loop dangling from each one came from Dahak, and started latching onto clone Gabrielle and clone Xena's limbs. Dahak was growing bigger.

Alti's voice said somewhat loud, "how does it feel…to just be a footnote in the grand scheme of things?" Dahak had stopped growing at the size of a giant.

Clone Xena muttered, "go to Hell!"

The bitter words continued on as the rope got tighter, "it's your eve of destruction…your hatred has won!" The remaining faces floated towards pinned clone Xena and pinned clone Gabrielle, ready to use their swords to attack them directly.

At the same time, within archangel Michael's mind…

Archangel Michael looked at himself in a certain temple. He looked like…the archangel turned demon Lucifer in demon form. Archangel Michael was charging at a desperate Xena. In instinctive hatred, he grabbed Xena in the air. Michael thought, "Xena may have done bad things…but I wasn't even thinking. It's as though…I am Lucifer!"

Xena called out, "your kingdom awaits!" And like before with the real Lucifer, it played out the same way as expected. Michael, looking like Lucifer, was literally being sent to Hell.

At the same time, back in the tower…

Ares asked, "what did I…miss?" He then noticed archangel Xena on the floor. Ares shouted, "this means war!"

Aphrodite thought, "typical Ares." She suggested, "let's just get her." Ares shot fireballs at goddess Alti and Aphrodite shot energy blasts at goddess Alti at the same time. Goddess Alti teleported out of the way of some of them, but the fireballs and energy blasts still hit her because Ares and Aphrodite fired everywhere around them. This resulted in hitting goddess Alti against another section of wall, and nearly collapsing the whole tower on everyone inside. Thin pillars worth of metaphysical stone that held up the first floor barely remained intact.

Goddess Alti got back up, coughing a little as she blasted Ares and Aphrodite with lightning. They were both knocked backwards into some of the thin pillars, making the first floor start coming down on top of them. Goddess Alti chuckled as she floated outside the tower, "how fitting…to meet the rest of your godforsaken god family in Tartarus."


	8. Part 8: Endgame

Death's Door: A Xena: Warrior Princess Fanfiction

Part 8:

Ares called out over the sound of the collapsing tower, "get Gabrielle!" Ares lifted up the unconscious body of archangel Xena as he said this.

Aphrodite was about to ask, "but what about…?!" Suddenly, as goddess Alti was preparing another attack, a bright white light nearly blinded the three gods. The three gods instinctively closed their eyes. The being of light appeared in the midst of the mystically being rebuilt tower. Stone by stone, the tower was being restored back to normal. Winged lights that were waiting to come in came to rest on the windowsills. Aphrodite sighed with relief.

Ares hid his relief.

The being of light shouted, "be gone, so called Goddess of Death…for love is the way!" A bright white beam of light as wide as one of the windowless windows came out of the being of light's hands and hit goddess Alti.

Aphrodite figured, "works for me."

Ares decided as he put archangel Xena back down, "this ends now."

Goddess Alti cried out in defiance as she channeled some of the several bright white souls she had left out of her body, hoping that they would fall victim to the beam of light instead of herself.

Ares called out, "now!" Not knowing that certain souls were at stake here, Ares and Aphrodite fired more fireballs and energy blasts towards goddess Alti.

At the same time, in the minds of archangel Xena and Gabrielle…

With the giant scythe coming towards them, archangel Xena and Gabrielle were forming a plan. The verse had stopped ringing in their ears. Archangel Xena called out over the wind, "I'm going to let go! You get ready to swing!" Gabrielle soon after confirmed by nodding. Archangel Xena urged, "now!" Gabrielle swung off of archangel Xena's hand, letting archangel Xena let go of her hand at the same time. Gabrielle kicked off of the flat front side of the scythe in a jump flip, letting the wind and her momentum carry her just above the incoming scythe. In midair, Gabrielle reached out her hand back to archangel Xena, who let herself be hurled upward by Gabrielle's arm in the wind.

Gabrielle urged, "go!" As the wind sent Gabrielle back towards the scythe, she swung off of the upside down scythe's long handle to keep her momentum going fast enough to flip past the scythe's blade. It nearly hit her, but she tumbled past it in the air as archangel Xena caught her with an outstretched hand. The wind, flames, and scythe were becoming more and more distant to archangel Xena and Gabrielle. But, it wasn't over yet. A bright yellow flame began to surround Gabrielle out of nowhere. Archangel Xena reactively let go from the more intense heat of the fire surrounding Gabrielle.

Archangel Xena called out, "let her go, Alti!"

Alti's voice echoed darkly in archangel Xena, "oh, but I am." A strong wind started forming around archangel Xena, pulling her away from Gabrielle.

Archangel Xena cried out in defiance, "no!" She reached out her hand to Gabrielle and fought against the wind with her wings and momentum.

Gabrielle was coughing hard, "I…" Gabrielle's hand struggled to reach out to archangel Xena's hand, despite the surrounding metaphysical smoke and fire that Gabrielle's mind body had mostly disappeared from sight in.

Archangel Xena urged, "hold on!"

At the same time, in the minds of clone Xena and clone Gabrielle…

Clone Xena and clone Gabrielle were also forming a plan, with faces of the past coming to get them. The verse in their heads had stopped going on and on. Clone Xena and clone Gabrielle struggled to pull in their limbs, slowly pulling their arms and legs inward at the last minute. Swords from the figures of old foes and old friends slashed at their limbs, only to hit the rope instead and release clone Xena and clone Gabrielle. Clone Xena and kicked and punched several of their attackers into each other. She called out, "come on, Gabrielle!"

Clone Gabrielle replied, "get back." She was in a trance, with her legs crisscrossed and her hands touching each other in a centralized position of her own free will. Clone Gabrielle added as she started to glow bright yellow, "love is the way."

Clone Xena muttered, "oh, give me a…!" Suddenly, clone Gabrielle's bright yellow aura became a thin beam of bright light, which swept through the familiar faces and vaporized their swords into nothingness. The multiple Hopes, changing back to their original forms, turned the other way and teleported away before the beam of light could do something to them.

Clone Gabrielle remarked as she opened her eyes, "there's still hope for you."

Clone Xena chuckled, "didn't know you had that kind of power in you." Suddenly, a familiar looking red wheel surrounded by fire appeared straight out of Illusia…with arms of fire coming out to grab clone Xena and clone Gabrielle. Clone Xena turned to clone Gabrielle, "do that again. It may be our only hope."

Clone Gabrielle figured with a deep breath, "I'll try." She concentrated in meditation once more, with crisscrossed legs and centered hands. The thin beam of bright light pierced through the arms of fire and hit the wheel behind them. The wheel started spinning faster and faster, with the arms of fire starting to twist around it. The arms of fire though started to stretch outward, struggling to get closer and closer.

Clone Xena concluded, "I can't believe it…but it's working."

At the same time, in archangel Michael's mind…

As he plummeted towards the Pits of Hell, Michael struggled to fly back to the closing portal that would lead him to freedom. Determinedly, he grabbed a stone pillar and pulled himself up. Michael thought, "if I die for the greater good…so be it. But right now…I'd rather stay in Heaven for as long as I can." He started to run across the pillar's uneven surface, when the pillar started to collapse from underneath.

Alti's voice echoed, "you're nothing but one of Xena's rivals. Everything you do only makes things worse." Michael jumped off of the pillar and flapped his wings, gaining enough momentum to get close to the almost gone portal.

Michael then realized, "I may have made some hellish mistakes…but even an archangel like me should learn to suppress his inner demons. Come to think of it…I have to come to grips with my inner demons to stop them." And before goddess Alti could stop him, Michael looking like Lucifer used the King of Hell's power of teleportation to get away from the nightmare altogether.

Alti's voice called out, "no!"

Back at the tower…

The souls that goddess Alti was trying to let be destroyed by the being of light's beam of light became in appearance Gabrielle, clone Gabrielle, clone Xena, and archangel Michael. Their physical bodies were still in the tower, but their soul bodies with renewed strength and bright yellow auras were surrounding goddess Alti. The being of light's beam of light, the fireballs, and the energy blasts accidentally hitting them faded away. The being of light interestingly chuckled as the soul of archangel Xena left goddess Alti's body.

Ares chuckled too. He figured, "who better to handle Alti?"

Aphrodite suggested, "but if we get a clear shot…"

Ares added, "so much the better."

Clone Xena urged, "together."

Archangel Xena confirmed, "together." The empowered souls of Clone Xena, archangel Xena, archangel Michael, Gabrielle, and clone Gabrielle together blasted goddess Alti with bright white light from their hands. Goddess Alti tried to blast them with lightning and mind attacks, but her concentration and aim was considerably off as her lightning just went across the air like lake without affecting anything.

Goddess Alti realized, "no. Their minds…too strong!" With goddess Alti dazed, archangel Michael, archangel Xena, clone Xena, and Gabrielle kicked and punched goddess Alti at the same time from multiple directions. The impact knocked goddess Alti back towards the tower. Clone Gabrielle blasted her with her thin beam of light for good measure, draining goddess Alti of some of her power. Goddess Alti crashed into the tower. As she was getting up, she was coughing hard. Her form was jumping from her modern self to her ancient self and back again multiple times. Goddess Alti though saw the souls that were resting back in the tower.

Clone Gabrielle realized, "if she gets new souls…"

Clone Xena figured, "I don't think Ares…or his sister will let her."

Gabrielle pointed out, "Aphrodite."

Clone Xena concluded, "right." In the tower, Ares and Aphrodite blasted goddess Alti with energy blasts and fireballs before she could even fire a shot at either of them.

The being of light urged at the same time, "allow me." The being of light delivered the final blow to goddess Alti with its beam of light.

Goddess Alti cried out in defiance as she was turned into a winged blue light, which flew towards the apple tree above. Soon after, archangel Xena, archangel Michael, Gabrielle, clone Gabrielle, and clone Xena returned to their bodies and awoke in them. They uneasily got back up, disoriented by the shared soul related experience. Aphrodite then noticed clone Xena and clone Gabrielle on the second floor.

Aphrodite turned to Ares, "why do they look beaten up?"

Ares responded, "umm…not that this wasn't a blast, but I've got some armies to develop." And with that, Ares teleported elsewhere.

Aphrodite shouted, "Ares?!" She teleported elsewhere to angrily search for Ares.

Archangel Xena asked, "you all right?"

Gabrielle confirmed, "yeah. Where's Aphrodite?" Archangel Michael was still shaken from his nightmare, and wasn't saying much.

Archangel Xena turned to Gabrielle, "probably mad at Ares."

Gabrielle chuckled a little, "can't say I blame her."

Archangel Xena remarked, "if we had a soldier for every time someone tried to kill us…"

Michael concluded, "I'll see you back in Heaven…ok?"

A confused archangel Xena said, "ok, but are you…?"

Michael assured her, "I know the way back." He swam away from the tower, and up into the garden above.

Gabrielle wondered, "what's with him?"

Archangel Xena realized, "maybe Alti made him see something he didn't want to see."

Gabrielle suggested, "come on, Xena. Let's go back to Heaven."

Archangel Xena figured, "this way." She and Gabrielle swam after Michael.

At the same time, on the second floor…

Clone Gabrielle turned to clone Xena, "we did it."

Clone Xena added, "no…you did it."

Clone Gabrielle wondered, "does that mean you'll…?"

Clone Xena chuckled a little, "I'd rather do things the old fashioned way."

Clone Gabrielle figured, "just don't get in the way of…whatever that was."

Clone Xena commented, "yeah, sure…but I thought my daughter was the messenger of Eli."

Clone Gabrielle concluded, "who says there can't be one in 2001?"

Clone Xena chuckled, "I think you're starting to grow on me."

Clone Gabrielle figured, "about time too."

Clone Xena pointed out, "speaking of time…how are we going to get back to 2001?"

Clone Gabrielle figured, "we'll find a way. Hey, Gabrielle! Wait up!" She and clone Xena swam after archangel Xena and Gabrielle.

And back on that certain boat, a dark day had given way to a brighter night.

Disclaimer: The Garden of Eden wasn't really harmed during the production of this motion picture…but a real garden was. And after Xena's greatest sacrifice yet, continuity through reincarnation and cloning was preserved to keep the fans' spirits up.

**The End…Or The Start of Spin Off Fanfiction?**

**Please Feel Free To Comment On Or Continue This Storyline**


End file.
